Basics Basics Basics - Lesson 3 - Gauge!

Lesson 3 requires knitting 5 swatches, all in the same yarn and with the same needles, in 5 different stitch patterns, garter, stockinette, seed, cable and lace, and then comparing the gauge. This was a l iberating assignment! My head is full of ideas for sweaters combining different stitch patterns. But I’ve been reluctant to tackle them because I wasn’t sure how the gauges in the various patterns would work together. I knew a cable required more stitches than stockinette and that seed was different from both and I wasn't quite up to sitting down and figuring out how to combine them. The answer, of course, is simple! Make a swatch, measure, then add or decrease stitches accordingly. After this lesson, I have the courage to do it.

The last and optional swatch required choosing a cable, knit a swatch and write the pattern for the swatch pattern. I was surprised how difficult that was! There are so many details to include. A careful pattern writer earns every penny of the cost of a pattern. Deciding what to knit is the easy part. Writing it down for someone else to follow – that is difficult! Hopefully it will get easier with practice!

Basics, basics, basics gave me a excellent foundation for growing as a knitter. There are areas where I need to improve. My seed stitch still has holes. My cable still has the occasional stretched stitch. But I have a much better sense of what I need to do to improve.

More importantly, I’ve found a new confidence and willingness to try more difficult designs. And I'm ready to tackle TKGA's Masters Program.